Set up cellular on your Apple Watch

With a cellular connection on Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) or Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular), you can make calls, reply to messages, receive notifications, and more, even while you’re away from your iPhone.

If you have an enterprise or corporate cellular service plan, check with your company or carrier to see if they support this feature. Pre-paid accounts and some older accounts aren’t currently supported. To make sure that your account is eligible, contact your carrier.

Set up your cellular plan

You can activate cellular when you first set up your Apple Watch. During setup, look for the option to set up cellular, then follow the onscreen steps.

You can also set up cellular later from the Apple Watch app:

On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.

Tap the My Watch tab, then tap Cellular.

Tap Set Up Cellular.

Follow the instructions for your carrier. You might need to contact your carrier for help.

Connect to a cellular network

Your Apple Watch with cellular will automatically switch to the most power-efficient wireless available: It can connect to your iPhone when itʼs nearby, a Wi-Fi network, or cellular. When your watch connects to cellular, it uses LTE networks. If LTE isn't available, your watch will try to connect to UMTS if your carrier supports it.

When your watch connects to a cellular network, you can check the signal strength from Control Center or the Explorer watch face. To open Control Center, touch and hold the bottom of the screen, then swipe up.

The Cellular button turns green when you have a connection. The green dots show the signal strength.

The Cellular button turns white when your cellular plan is active, but your watch is connected to your iPhone using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Changing carriers

Your iPhone and Apple Watch must use the same carrier. If you change carriers on your iPhone,* you need to remove the previous service plan on your Apple Watch and sign up for a new plan. Here's how:

On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.

Tap the My Watch tab, then tap Cellular.

Your Apple Watch should automatically switch to the carrier that your iPhone is using. If you need to add a new plan, tap Add a New Plan, then follow the onscreen steps. If your previous plan still appears in the Apple Watch app, you can remove it.

If you need help, contact your carrier.

Transfer your cellular plan to a new Apple Watch

When you’re ready to start using a new Apple Watch, you can transfer cellular service from your old watch to your new one. Here’s how:

Remove the cellular plan from your old Apple Watch. You can do this from the Apple Watch app or by erasing your old Apple Watch.

Pair your new Apple Watch with your iPhone. During setup, tap “Set up Cellular” to add a cellular plan.

Some carriers allow you to transfer your existing plan to your new Apple Watch directly from the Apple Watch app.

If you don’t see an option to transfer your cellular plan, contact your carrier for help.

Remove your cellular plan

You can remove your cellular plan at any time:

On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.

Tap the My Watch tab, then tap Cellular.

Tap next to your cellular plan at the top of the screen.

Tap Remove [carrier] Plan. Tap again to confirm.

If you aren't going to pair again, you might need to contact your carrier to cancel your cellular subscription.*

When you erase and unpair your Apple Watch, you'll also get the option to remove the plan from your Apple Watch. When asked, choose Erase All to remove the plan.

About international roaming

To cover the LTE and UMTS bands used around the world, Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) and Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) come in three regional models: Americas, China, and Europe/Asia Pacific. Unlike iPhone, there isn't a worldwide Apple Watch model that supports all cellular bands used globally, so it isn't possible for Apple Watch to roam.

When your Apple Watch is connected to your iPhone or a previously joined Wi-Fi network, you can still use all the features of your Apple Watch, even if cellular isn't available.

Learn more

To check your cellular data usage, use the Apple Watch app. Open the app on your iPhone, tap the My Watch tab, tap Cellular, then scroll to the Cellular Data Usage section.

To turn your cellular connection on or off, swipe up from the watch face to open Control Center. Tap , then turn Cellular on or off.

Turning on cellular for extended periods uses more battery power. Also, some apps might not update without a connection to your iPhone.

To receive SMS, MMS, or push notifications from third-party apps on your Apple Watch with cellular, your paired iPhone must be powered on and connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.